Reconnecting
by ttfan111robstar1
Summary: William and Diana Reid fall in love all over again. Set post-Memoriam.
1. First Visit

A few weeks had passed since Spencer had finally learned the real reason behind his parents split. To Diana, all the days since seeing her husband and son had seemed like one long day, so she didn't even give her calendar a glance.

If she had, she would have noticed that it was her birthday.

As she sat on the couch writing in her journal that afternoon, a nurse tapped her on the shoulder and said she had a phone call waiting for her. She smiled and went over to the phone where her son wished her a happy birthday. After a short conversation and promising to try and visit more, Spencer hung up and she returned to her journals. Other than a birthday cupcake, she didn't have any other expectations for the day.

So, that being the case, she was surprised when she was told that she had a visitor. Her surprise doubled when she found out that it was her husband.

Although shocked, she arranged her face into a pleasant smile.

"Hello, Will." It was quiet and polite. He smiled and nodded slightly.

"Diane."

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was flat.

"I came to wish you a happy birthday." She decided to take it at face value, even though she sensed something else going on.

"Thank you."

There were a few moments of awkward silence between them.

"How have you been?" He asked, unable to stand the quiet.

"The same, more or less." She shrugged. "What about you? How's work?"

He smirked. "The same. Some things never change." She reciprocated his smile before losing her own as the quiet settled in once more. They made small talk for a few minutes, but she couldn't help the anxiety building up inside of her. Finally, Diana couldn't take it any longer.

"Why are you really here, William? I know you wouldn't have come all this way just for me." She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. William felt a twinge of guilt in his heart.

"How do you know?" He held his ground, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not in the mood for games. Why are you here? Really?" Her tone was exasperated.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and said the first thing that came to his mind. "I missed you." It was the truth. He watched shock cross her face.

The words were simple, but effective. Diana felt old feelings trying to penetrate the layer of concrete she'd poured over her heart. She kept her face expressionless. "The time to miss me was over twenty years ago." She said, coldly.

"I know." His tone was full of remorse. It ignited her fury more than even she anticipated.

"You left. You left your son without a father, You left me without a husband, and now you miss me?!" Her voice was thick with righteous indignation. "I needed you. I needed you to stand by me even when I wasn't myself. You made a promise to me on our wedding day that you would honor and cherish me as long as we lived, and you took that promise, threw it away, and destroyed the life we built together like it all meant nothing to you. It may have been that way for you with work and all, but our family meant everything to me." Her voice cracked at the end. William accepted her criticism with ease. She took a moment and composed herself slightly. "You left. That's all there is to it." She was surprised by the vehemence in his reply.

"No. That's not all there is to it. Leaving you both was the worst mistake I ever made. I'm so sorry." Diana looked at him, surprised. "I shouldn't have left. It took me years to figure out that I missed out on two of the best things I ever did with my life. I know it can't make up for it, but I want to start over if you will let me. I'm not the weak man I was when I left you both. I've made a change. If nothing else, I just want to know if you can forgive me."

There had been a part of her locked away deep inside that had dreamed of hearing those words. She softened slightly.

It took her back to their first meeting, reminding her of how his charms effected her back then.

 _It was an average day for Diana as she finished her cup of coffee and flung it into the trash. After finishing two papers for college, she decided that she'd earned a treat and went to a local book store for some new material to read. As she knelt on the ground and rooted through other possible choices besides the two she had, she brushed hands with a stranger._

 _"Sorry." She murmured, glancing up at him. When she got a good look at him, she stopped. He was skinny with mousy brown hair and a strong jawline. His eyes were a brown color that reminded her of chocolate with hints of caramel. He wasn't a model or anything, but he was definitely attractive to her. She blushed when she realized she'd noticed him staring. "Sorry!" She murmured again._

 _"The mistake was mine." His voice was smooth and deep. He offered her his hand and she took it._

 _"Thank you."_

 _"No problem. I'm William. William Reid."_

 _"I'm Diana. It's nice to meet you." He looked at her for the first time. Her hair was the lightest shade of blonde possible, her lips full and tempting. Her cheeks were the most beautiful shade of red, and her eyes were so blue and gorgeous that he was reminded of the ocean. He thought he might drown in her gaze._

 _"The pleasure is all mine." He glanced down at the two books in her grip. "Studying?" He guessed._

 _"What? These? Oh, no. Just some light reading."_

 _The two books in her hand could have been textbooks. His demeanor gave nothing away until His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Still, his charm was right on target._

 _"If I may, I'd like to buy you those books." A look of surprise crossed Diana's features, and she smiled._

 _"I'd like that." She remarked, quietly. After the books were purchased she pulled out the receipt and wrote her name and phone number on the back of it._

 _Three days later, he had called to ask her on their first date._

A score of memories flashed before her eyes, some good and some bad. She was wrought with indecision until the softest whisper inside of her made her choice clear. Hesitantly, she put her hand on his.

"I forgive you."

She saw light dance in his eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear that."

Her smile widened. "I can guess."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly spoke as the question he yearned to ask tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Could you give me another chance?"

His eyes met hers and their gazes locked in a moment of intensity so strong that it made Diana look away, blushing. There was still clearly a chemistry between them. It was electric. It made her hair stand on end.

She wanted to give in to temptation, but there was a part of her that was still keeping its guard up, afraid to be hurt again. Could she really let him back in? Could she handle what that entailed emotionally? Was he worthy of another try? She dug deep inside of herself and tried to come up with the answers she so desperately needed.

That part of her that had been caged before, the part that had never really moved on, suddenly screeched, begging to be heard. It burst out of its bindings with all the sudden strength of The Hulk. It climbed up onto her heart and smashed through the concrete layers she had so carefully lain over it like it wasn't even there. "You love him!" It shrieked. She could feel her indecision melting inside of her as the voice spoke louder and louder. She couldn't Live in a world where she was held hostage to her doubts. She didn't want to live with any regrets. And if she didn't take this chance, she might regret it for the rest of her life.

She looked into his eyes, feeling naked and vulnerable. But she moved closer and, in possibly the most brave moment of her existence, whispered "Yes."

William closed the distance between their lips, and they shared their first kiss in over twenty years.


	2. Unexpected

For Diana Reid, life had thrown her an unexpected curve ball. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine reconciling with her husband. And she certainly didn't expect for him to seek her out the way he did. She still wondered if yesterday was all a hallucination, but her husband coming by again today reassured her that she was most definitely lucid. They sat on the couch in her room together, slightly awkward from yesterday's unexpected kiss.

"I didn't expect you to come by." She admitted quietly. His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really?" She nodded.

"I thought maybe yesterday was all a dream."

"This is most definitely real." He affirmed. The statement made her smile, and the sight brought butterflies to William's stomach. Carefully, he reached out and took her hand in his. She couldn't help the blush that swept across her face, and looked away from him for a moment.

"We have to take this slow, Will." She said, quietly. When she looked up at him, his eyes were solemn but understanding.

"I know. And I'm okay with that."

This released some of the tension in her stomach, and she was able to relax a little more.

William launched into a description of what he'd been up to since leaving, but he was much more interested in hearing Diana's stories about herself, and how their son had grown up. When she finally did speak, he hung on her every word. She still had the natural gift for storytelling that she'd had when they married. He was glad to know that she had taken such good care of their son in his absence. His trust had been well placed.

Slowly, though, guilt began to bubble up in his conscience. For all he'd put his son and wife through. Despite his leaving, he still loved them. He knew Diana had forgiven him, but what about their son? Could he forgive him for his mistake? Would he let him into his life? The thought made him uneasy. Diana picked up on his subtle change in focus and gently squeezed his hand. He looked into her serious blue eyes curiously.

"What is it?" She asked, Not bothering to conceal the worry in her voice. He sighed and turned away from her.

"I was just thinking about Spencer."

"Ah." Now she thought she understood his thought process. "We don't have to tell him about this if you aren't ready to."

He shook his head. "It's not that. I just... I can't help but wonder if he could forgive me too."

Diana clasped his hands in her own. "I'm sure he could. You'd just have to give him time."

He smiled halfheartedly at her, then sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"It wouldn't be the first time, and it won't be the last." She said, smirking. She could see the distress in the lines of his face, and gently stroked his cheek. "It'll be alright. All good things come with time."

He leaned into her touch. Seeing the care in her eyes lifted his spirits immensely. He smiled, and she mirrored the action. This time she initiated the small and quick kiss between them. When they broke apart, they both had goofy grins plastered on their faces. Before he was able to orient himself again, Diana got up and carefully tore a piece of paper from her journal and jotted down a number on it, handing it to William.

"You should call him." She said quietly. Before he could reply, an orderly poked her head through the door.

"Time for your medication, Diana." She excused herself from the room and William began dialing the number on the paper. His heart raced when the phone began to ring. It slowed when the call went to voicemail. Carefully, he chose his words and left a message.

"Hello Spencer. It's me. Your mother gave me your number and I was hoping we could talk sometime. Please call me back whenever you have the time." He left his phone number before ending the call, a feeling of anticlimax in his stomach. Yet somehow he felt lighter- like a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He had taken the first step toward healing their broken relationship, and that made him feel good.

Diana came back in the room shortly after and sat right beside her husband. She could tell that his energy had increased quite a bit since her departure, and that made her happy.

"Feeling better?" She asked, smiling slightly.

"By far." He replied. She grinned.

"Good."

The awkwardness that had seemed to hang in the air in between them earlier had dissipated entirely. They sat closer to one another, talking and occasionally sharing a kiss or two. They were getting more and more comfortable together. It wasn't until they called for dinner that William decided to head home. When he announced his decision to his wife, he was pleasantly surprised to see a frown mar her face.

"Don't worry," he reassured her, "I'll be back tomorrow."

At that, Diana grinned. William leaned in and kissed her one more time before heading out the door.

For a moment, Diana stood there after he left, in a state of bewilderment. A part of her kept insisting that this was just another hallucination and that she'd wake up any second alone. But another part of her, the part that kept separate reality and fantasy, argued that this was too real to be just in her head. Sure she had had some vivid hallucinations in her day, but nothing that detailed. If he wasn't real, then how could she have smelled his cologne, seen the details of his face, or felt the sensation of his lips gently meeting her own? How could something this wonderful and unexpected have been conjured by her sick mind, that only came up with fantasies that were either terrifying worst case scenarios of her life or old, painful, memories.

For such a long time she had been alone in life. She had assumed that it would be that way for the rest of her life as her son slowly grew to have a life of his own and broke away from her. She had never expected to have someone come along and try to prove to her that she wasn't as alone as she thought. She hadn't anticipated that the only man she'd ever loved would have the courage to come back and beg for her forgiveness.

Above all, she could never have ever known that she would be falling in love with him all over again.


	3. Touch

**Author's Note: There is sex in this chapter. And if I had one song to play during the scene, it would be "Turning Page" by Sleeping At Last (just to set the mood.). I hope you all enjoy it!**

From then on, William and Diana inched closer to one another. Slowly, they were growing back together. The awkwardness between them had vanished entirely. Now when he came to visit her, they kissed and were in close proximity to one another all the time. William had obeyed his wife's wishes and they had taken things slow.

The day after William had left Spencer his voicemail, he got a call back from his son. Spencer was surprised to have heard from his father at all. When asked what he wanted, William explained why he left, the realization of the mistake he had made, and his asking Diana for forgiveness. Then, he asked his son for the same.

For a few minutes all was silent on the line. Hearing that his mother had accepted his apology influenced Spencer more than anything else. If she could forgive him, he could too.

"I forgive you." It was something he needed to do, both for his father and for himself. After that some of the tension between them eased, and they spoke on occasion.

The one thing stopping William from telling Spencer about his relationship with Diana was that he wasn't sure where they were at. There wasn't really a word for what they were. Much as he wanted to tell his son that they were back together, he couldn't. He just wasn't sure. So he kept silent on the matter.

About a month after his first visit with his wife, he came into Diana's room and shut the door behind him as he moved to sit next to her on the couch. Diana could tell something was bothering him, but stayed quiet. She wanted to give him time to think. She leaned her head into his shoulder and he turned to look at her. She was still incredibly beautiful, even after all the time that had passed. He loved her more than anything. She searched his eyes and, after not finding what she hoped for, finally couldn't take it anymore.

"What's bothering you?"

He paused before asking the question that had haunted him for sometime.

"What are we?" She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"What exactly is our relationship with one another?"

At first she considered it a stupid question considering their marital status, but the more she considered it, the more it troubled her. What were they? More than friends, certainly. But where did they lie on the relationship spectrum now? Minutes passed as she tried to figure it out. Finally, she asked,

"What do you want it to be?"

"You know." He said, catching her eye.

She did. She did know. She looked up at him, and took a deep breath.

"If you want me back, you can take me."

They were the words he'd been hoping to hear. His eyes lit up and he swept her into a passionate kiss. Although surprised, Diana reciprocated. When their lips parted, their gazes locked. All at once, the mood changed. Diana broke her eye contact with him, trying to break the thick tension between them, but William held her face in his hands and gently made her look at him again.

"Can I still take you?" He whispered, their faces just inches apart.

She felt his warm breath in her ear and took a sharp intake of breath in response. Desire ignited in Diana like a bomb detonating. As much as she wanted to let him take her, she was afraid. She was terrified of giving herself to him completely and then being rejected completely. She searched his eyes for any sign of doubt and found none. There was only love. It gave her the encouragement she needed.

"You already have me." She replied, quietly.

A licentious smile crossed his face. She reached up and gently caressed his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. The short distance between them was closed with a kiss as William moved to trail kisses down her neck. She gasped quietly to herself. As they shed their clothes, William touched his wife all over, with the exception of between her legs. Even after over twenty years he still remembered what turned her on. She moaned quietly. As he moved to lay on top of her, their gazes never parted. He could tell she was afraid, but saw her keeping the fear at bay. He moved to brush a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered. She blushed, and it warmed him from the inside out. He looked at her and saw two different people. The strong woman who had battled illness all her life and won, and the vulnerable woman inside of her that no one got to see. To see her reveal the part of herself that she kept hidden only made her more perfect to him.

She saw him hesitate and assumed that there was something bothering him.

"I won't break." She promised.

"I know."

When he entered her, she was reminded of the late nights they had spent together as wild young adults. There was so much passion between them, so much heat. It was incredible. Now, as they made love in her room, she was made aware of the similarities between then and now. After an over twenty year long break, they were back together and had renewed their passion for one another.

As he moved inside of her, the delicious friction began to build in her. This was what she needed. This was what she had craved. She was awash with sensation as her attention was scattered between different parts of her body. He touched her in just the right way, until her body was wound up to her breaking point. Then, with one love bite at the nape of her neck, her body exploded with a rush of pleasure as she cried out his name.

After a few minutes he moved so that her head lay on his chest. As she lay there panting, she could hear the thudding of his heart. It was strange for her to think of herself as the reason for his joy. But, she had never anticipated that something like this would happen. He planted a kiss on her forehead, and she felt a pulse of electricity race through her.

After all this time, they had somehow beaten the odds and fallen in love all over again.

 **Author's Note: Please Review!**


	4. Found

It was two days after William and Diana's romantic encounter. The BAU were in the middle of a case in Nevada. Multiple ritualistic murders had taken place in Las Vegas, and Spencer had an inkling that Schizophrenia might have had something to do with it. Despite years of observing his mother, he thought it best to interview her himself- just in case there was something he missed. Morgan had volunteered to go with him.

They arrived at Bennington Sanitarium a little after seven. Spencer was cheerful at the thought of seeing his mother. He and Derek made their way to the living area. Spencer was surprised to not see his mother there. Normally she would sit out there writing in her journal around this time. But he didn't despair, and made his way toward her room.

He could see the lights on from a short distance away, but as he got closer to the small window in the door, he saw something so unexpected that it froze him in his tracks.

He saw both of his parents dancing together.

William held his wife close to him as he gently pressed her to his chest. Diana had her arms wrapped around his neck, staring into her husband's eyes. Occasionally they stole chaste kisses as they turned around in a circle.

"It's been years since we last danced together." Diana commented.

"We'll have to try and do it more often." Said William. Diana's face grew dreamy.

"Remember when we danced at our wedding?" William grinned.

"I could never forget it. You were so beautiful that day. I remember thinking about how much I wanted to sweep you off your feet. There was a moment during the dance where I seriously considered picking you up, spinning you around, and never putting you down again."

Diana laughed. "Really?"

"Really." He promised. Diana smiled up at him and kissed him softly.

"That's so romantic."

William shrugged. "I have my moments."

"You have many." They kissed again.

Without warning, William swept his wife into his arms princess-style and spun her around in a circle. Diana laughed delightedly and they kissed one more time.

Spencer was glued to the spot where he stood, floored as he watched their entire interaction.

Morgan stepped beside him.

"Man, you didn't tell me your parents were back together."

"I didn't know..." The shock was evident in his voice.

The first emotion that broke through the pure shock was confusion. What exactly was he watching? He thought he could remember them dancing together one time when he was very young, but that was it. Were his parents back together? As soon as he thought it, he wanted to reject it out of pure instinct. But yet, that seemed to be the only logical answer.

The second emotion that he felt was an unexpected surge of happiness. His mother was smiling. And laughing. Those emotions were so rare for her. For a moment, all he could do was smile.

The final emotion was a calm acceptance. This wasn't something that he could have any control over. If his mother was happy, he should be happy for her. He decided to be optimistic. This would be his chance to get to know his father for the first time. It sent an unexpected thrill through him.

After the overwhelming emotions left his body, he remembered his purpose for being there. Hesitantly, he stepped forward and knocked on his mother's door. He could hear laughter muffled by the door, and then saw his mother poke her head out the door.

"Spencer?" She remarked in surprise, and opened the door more. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm working on a case and I thought you might be able to help." He decided not to ask about their relationship with one another. He could come back and do that later. This was about business.

Diana was caught off guard by the statement, but allowed her son and his coworker inside. William excused himself from the room, and Spencer began asking his mother the questions that he had always been too afraid to ask as a child.

"Mom, do you ever know when you're about to hallucinate?"

Diana sighed. "Sometimes. Sometimes I'll get this sensation in my stomach. It's always a dead giveaway. Other times they come with no warning at all."

"When you're hallucinating, are you ever aware of other things going on around you?"

"For the most part no, but there have been times when I sensed someone close by."

"Like me." He said, remembering how she used to hold his hand when her mind was somewhere far away.

"Yes. You and your father were the only ones that could occasionally break me out of it and make me lucid."

At that, Spencer smiled. Before he could ask her another question, however, her eyes glazed over, and he could tell her mind was elsewhere. William re entered the room and she smiled up at him.

"Nice to see you again." She said, smiling politely. Instantly, he caught up with what was going on. Unlike Spencer, though, for once he knew exactly what was going on in her mind.

She was reliving their first date.

He took her hand, bowed, and kissed it.

"The pleasure is all mine."

The look of pleasant surprise on her face fascinated her son, who couldn't tear his eyes away from the delusional yet somehow real exchange. Morgan excused himself out to the car, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment.

"Please, sit." She said, gesturing toward the couch.

He did as she asked. They made obligatory small talk for a while until Diana decided to go deeper.

"So, what are you studying?" She asked, trying to seem casual. He grinned.

"Law."

"That must be fascinating."

"It gets pretty boring, actually- you just study cases all day for the most part. I'm really looking forward to getting into the courtroom and dealing with opposite sides of the law."

She smiled thoughtfully. "I could see where that could be exciting."

"What about you? What are you studying?"

"Fifteenth century literature."

"Isn't that a little-"

"Obscure? Yes. Yes it is." She laughed at herself. "But it's what I love."

"What do you want to do with your degree?"

"I want to be a teacher."

He grinned. "You seem like you'd be good at that."

She shrugged. "It's always been something I had a passion for. Shaping minds one lesson at a time. To know you made a difference to even one person is the most incredible feeling. I'll never get tired of that."

He loved the lively gleam in her eye. He reached out and took her hand.

"You've already made a difference in my life."

She blushed and grinned at him. "You're very charming."

He grinned. "So I've been told."

A few moments passed with no conversation. William broke the silence.

"If I'm not being too forward, would you like to go out again sometime?"

She laughed slightly, grinning ear to ear. "Sure."

They got up and both stepped forward, where they shared a kiss.

When they broke apart, clarity had returned to her eyes.

"Will?" She asked, voice uncertain.

"It's fine. You're safe. You just left for a little while." Spencer excused himself from the room, knowing that his parents deserved some privacy.

She sighed in relief. "You stayed."

"Of course I did."

"I thought maybe..."

"I'd leave because your condition flared up again?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"I'm not going through the pain of losing you again." His voice was strong with resolve. A happy tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away

"I love you." Her voice was thick with emotion.

"I love you too."

They sealed their declaration of love with a kiss.


End file.
